Kennel construction



May 28, 1929. l w, H STARK ET AL ,7l5,175

KENNEL CONSTRUCTION t '.vnrfe cr.

11 gg and, in

*Sau r Patented May 2S, 1929a UYTE w'LLiaivr n. STARK, Aor coNoviiR; ANDJOI-IN SAUVER, oF EAGLE RIVER; WISCONSIN.

KENNEL CONSTRUCTIO. f

Application filed April 13, 1925. Serial No. .22,542.5

This invention relates to improvements in Y kennel constructions andconsists in the mat-- ters hereinafter described and more particuf larlypointed out in the appended claims.

rlhe comparatively new industry of raising wild animals in captivity fortheir fur and particularly the raising of the different breeds of foxfor this purpose, has necessitated the provision of kennels not only fortheir shelter but also for the rearing of their young. Being raised incaptivity and away from their natural habitat they have no material forthe building of their nests, which, of course, must be provided by manto the best of his ability. The fox in its wild state has certainpreferences in locating its nesting place, which must be fairly warm anddry 'sand not only protected from the elements but also one wherein onlya subdued light, if any, may enter. y

Kennels have been used in the so called fox farming or raising industrybut these kennels by reason of their construction and location out inthe open have proven indeed unsatisfactory in the winter to lprovide theshelter necessary not only for the old-er animals but especially theyoung and by reason thereof many of the foxes have died ofthe extremecold; Furv beaiing foxes are quite expensive s0 that the loss of one ofor a mated pair is indeed a loss for the owner.

The primary object of the present y invention is to provide a kennelconstruetioninore particularly adapted to the raising of foxes, and oneof which includes as near as possiblev vall the requirements of thenatural nest of a fox. as above set forth.y y y i A further-*objectofthe'invention is to provide a kennel, which is lventilated and issan-i-v taiy and which may be warmed to that degree required forthe'breeding and raising of the young. l

A further object of the invention is to provide a heating chamber,normally arranged outside of and below the nesting space of the kenneland one wherein the heating element in said chamber is not only lvisiblebut may be easily gotten at for the pui-pose of inspection, replenishingand the like, without disturbing the interior of t-he kennel or theanikmals within the saine.V y i Still another object of the inventionis'to provide a heating chamber and containedelement which maybereadilyinstalled iii-kennels nowr in use or in new kennels during themanufacture thereof.

v vention.

Y Theseobjects Aof theinvention as well others, together with the` manyadvantages thereof willvmore fully appear aswe proceed with ourspecification.V

In the drawings:

construction embodying'V oneforin of our in'- Y Fig. 2 is a horizontalplan sectional view as taken on the lines' 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionalviewthrough the kennel as taken on theline 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. zlis an enlarged detail vertical sec-V tional view as taken ontheline ln-4L of Fig. 2L

Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal sectional Viewl as taken on the line'- ofFig. 54:.

In describing thatvembodiment of the inf vention illustrated herein, thesaine will be referred toas for use in the fo'X raising industry,butlthis is to be taken for the purpose J of illustration only and notfor the purpose f of limitation,as kennels embodying our invention mayalso be used in other animal industries where Aits peculiar. `characteristics make it advantageous to do so. L

In general, the imp rovedkennel comprises A anV open topbox-likefstructure mounted on.

legs so that said structure does not rest directly upon the ground'butis spaced la suitable distance above the saine. Said box-like structurehas inner and outer side,4 end and bottom walls with communicating airspaces between them and the open top is normally closed by an inclinedhinged roof or coverV which maybe readily lifted to give access to( the,interior thereof.- A chute opens at one end into the kennelyentrancefor-the animals into the chute being provided at the other end of thekennel. In said lastmentioned end of the'kennel is located a removablenesting box yand suspended fronithe bottom wall or floor beneath saidnesting box is a heating element byA means of which'thenesting boX iswarmed yby heattransinission through its floor or bottoin wall. `lnactualv use the kennel standsV about lll inches oil' the groundand rwefind that Yone about 3f, 9 long by about 2', 6,

inensions maybe changed without departing fromthefspirit'of theinvention. y

Referring now kinldetail to that embodify ment of the inventionvillustrated in the accompanying drawings, the kennel includes.

an opentop, box-like structure having luprespectively, hollow end walls3 and 4 and a hollow bottom vvall'. The front wall is higher than therear wall and the top edges i when closed slants as shown so' a's toeffectively shedr the ra'in. The front and rear Walls comprise inner andouter wall sections 1a, 1b and 22H-2b, respectively spaced apart toprovide an air space or chamber 1ic and 20,'re-

v corners I i A sheathing of the bottonr wall provides the vfloor properfor thev kennel.

spectivcly. TheV end walls 3k and 4 also comprise inner and outer wallsections 3a'-3 and ta-4b, respectively,.also spaced apart to provide anairl space or chamber 3C and 4 respectively betweei'rsaid end wallsections. The bottom wall 5V likewise 'comprises inner and outer wallsections ab-spaced apart to provide an air space-or chamber 5. All otthe inner wall .sections are preferably made ot wood while the' outerwall sections are preferably butV not necessarily of a stucco on `lathconstru-ctioif'i",` there vbeing' suitable groundor turring strips 6a atthe four outside ot the boX-like structure. rIhe The-kennel proper issupported; afsuitable dist-ance above the groun-d'fby legs 8 arrangedone at eachI oiu the fonti' corners of the struc- 1 ture. The' said legsextend up through the air spaces of the various `waflls to terminate atthe cap strip' G and form the niainsupporting nien'ibers ot' saidstructures. In the air spaces 1C and' 2C, o-i'f the front and rear Wallsare provi-ded upright studdings 9"-.i-9 and inI the air spaces ot theend` walls are similar studdings 10-10, which studdilngs extend freinthe top to the bottom of said air spaces. Y l l M l ln the lair space 5?of the bottoniV Wall are transverse stringers 11--115'theiinteriiiediate ones ot which are nailed at their endsto the bottom endsof the studding's 9'4-9 and the endinost ones ot which are nailed toAthat por- Y tion oic the corner legs S extending up .through said airspace. llhe studdi'ngs and- "stringers divide the various air spacesinto sections' or parts which have coiirnii'inicatioiiwith each other bymeans of openings 12' (see Fig. provided iny sai-d stringers. In theouter wall siection'vnear' the cap strips 6 are `formed ventilation'openingstor said air spaces. l It is ay'bpfarentv :tronithe foregoingthat a strong and rigidstructure' having air space insulated wajllsisfprovided.

Entrance7 yfor r the l aniiiials is provided by 'an' enclosedi chute;lwvhicli iiiclude'sf 'ai part 14 that extends parallel With the end Wall3 and opens into the same as best shown in Fig. 2 andl a second part 15which extends parallel with the front wall 1 and has an entrance andexit opening with the plane of the other end wall 4 as best shown inFig. 1. Preferably tlie part 15 of the chute is inclined slightlydownwardly toward its entrance and exitl yend .or opening. Such aconstruction is advantageous because it prevents'dratts ot cold air fromentering the ken-nel and at the same' time keeps the interior of thesame substantially dark without the necessity ing doors of any kind.

in the bottom' wall 5 ot the kennel' and near the end wall is provided arectangular lopening 16' in which ,is arranged a heater casing 17 asbestV shown in Figs. 1 and 5.- This casing is preferably in the form ofan of employopen top Wooden box,rwith its major portion y arrangedLbelow the licor so that access may be had into the interior thereofwithoutin any manner opening up the kennel and disturbing the animalv oranimals that may happento be within the same.: `Said' casing isrectangular .in plan and has frontand rear walls 18-1'8 and end walls19-20 and a bot'- toniwall 21. In the end Wall 20 is provided eter atrifle less than that of the marin' casing 1 so Vthat said sub-casingmay be easily with drawn and replaced through the open top of the maincasing. Y rlhe top end partof the siibecasing is insulated trom the;side walls l,of the main' casing by an, asbestos orlike sheet 24 whichvis vwrapped around said top .-eiidpafrt ais best shown in Fig. l. Thetop end et said'v subfcasin g Ahas a i'adiallanlge' 25 which isrectangular in plan and' is of vsuch'L a diameter as to overhang andengage vupon the top edges ot the side and end walls of the main casino'17 a sheet oit iii-'sulatin ina- I terial Q6 being interposed betweensaid flanges and edves ot said end and side walls.r

f i t, i lhe open top ol the sub-casing 25 is closed by a sheet metallwall' 27 which may beeitlier permanently or detacliafbly secured at' itsedges to the edges of the flange Q5.. ln said top wall Q7 are provii'ieda plurality ot annular, dependiiw" channels 28' and upon said top walland covering allot the sa'ineexceptl 'said channels is asheet ,ofinsulation 29, as tor instance asbestos. The sub-casing 23has a bottomwall 80 which as shown herein is aiinulai-ly corrugated to 'increase itsstiffness. rllhe height or the sub-casing is so propor-l tioned thatwhen its top fla-ngerests upon the top edges of the main casing-side andend walls, the bottom wall of said Vsub-casing will with a glass oilreservoir.

Ul i

rest upon the bottom Wall of the main casing.` lVithin the sub-casing isprovided a heating element 31 in the foi'm ofan open flame lamp Air tosupport combustion is admitted into the saine by'openings 32 at thecorners of the bottom wall 21 of the main casing and by openings in thesub-casing Wall below the bottoni edge of the insulation 2st. In oneWall portion of the sub-casing in line with the doei' 22 of the maincasing is provided a hinged door Bt carrying a transparent Window 34a.By means of the doors as described, the condition of the heater lamp maybe easily ascertained and said doors are made large enough so that theheater lamp may be removed therethrough for purpose of cleaning andreplenishing its fuel reservoir. i

XVithin the kennel above the heater casing is a nesting box 35, thebottom Wall 36 of which rests directly upon the asbestos mat 29 upon thetop Wall of the sub casing. Saidl nest-ing box has a hinged top cover 37and in that side wall adjacent the side wall 3 of the kennel is providedan opening 38 by means of which the animals enter and leave the nestingbox. This opening is spaced a suitable ldistance above the bottom Wallof the nesting box so that thenew born pups cannot get through the sameuntil they reach the proper age.

Wlhen the heater lamp is burning, heat is transmitted through thechannel portions of the sub-casing and warms up the bottom Wall ofthenesting box to that degree required for the animals, it not being theintention to heat the box to a summer heat.

Ink making up the kennel, the interior sheathing is preferablytreatedwith any suitable material acting as an insecticide and adeodorant so that the kennel will be sanitary. No drafts can enter theinterior of the kennel which isvdry and Warm so that the animalsoccupying the saine are amply sheltered from the Weather. The kennel maybe easily moved about to change its location. The double wallconstruction increases the coinfort of the animals and the heat-ingelement may ieeasily observed and removed when necessary .without iiiany manner disturbing said animals.

lVhile in describing our invention', ive have referred to certaindetails of mechanical cony struction and arrangement of parts, the saineis for the purpose of illustration only so that,

therefore, `we do not Wish to be limited thereto except asinay bepointed out in the appendi ed claims. l

We claim as our invention:

l. A kennel construction embodying a floorV having anv opening therein,a heater casing arranged iii said opening and including a Wall 'closingsaid opening, a ,heater element arranged in said casing, a nestingbox,Withinv the kennel and resting on said casing Wall and insulating meansinterposed vbetween the bottom of the nesting box and a part of saidcasing. Wall.` Y

2. Akennel construction embodying a floor having an opening therein, aheater casing fixed With its top end Within said opening so that itsbottom end is arranged Without and is accessible from outside thekennel, said oas'- ing including a metallic top Wall, a heater elementarranged in said casing, said Wall being so formed as to permit passagetherethrough of only a part of the heat from said heater element and anesting box adapted to removably seat upon said Wall.

3. A kennel construction embodying a floor having an opening therein, aheater casing iixed with its top end Within said opening so that itsbottom end lis arranged Without and is accessible from outside thekennel, said casing including a metallic top Wall, a heater elementarranged in said casing, said Wall having a plurality of inwardlyextending channels therein, insulating material ar ranged onv said Walland arranged to expose said channels so the heat may pass therethroughand a nesting box adapted to seat element arranged in said casing, saidWall.

having a plurality of annularlyarranged, inwardly extending integralchannels therein, a heat insulating pad covering all of said Wall exceptabove said channels and a nesting box adapted to seat uponsaidinsulating pad.

In `testimony ivhereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 2 day of Apr.,1925. i

' WILLIAM ii. sranx. i

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto' set f h/iarch, 1925.

my hand this 80th day yof i f JOHN SAUER.-

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